Hassy lens for Nikon

[deepdiver]

Hi All,
My friend wants to sell his Hasselblad CFE 120mm f/4 lens (in mint condition) for $2100
here is the pic:

My question is, how good this lens for Nikon Dslr?
Is this lens is a macro lens? is it a Great lens? or not a good lens?
is the price too expensive??

Since i have zero experience with MF lens, so i really need some advices from here

(there is a lens converter for hassy to Nikon mount, I can buy it for this lens)

Thx You

Andree

 

[Vivek]

Andree, I have the oldest version of this lens (S-Planar 120/5.6, a special purpose enlarging lens, came in a barrel, now mounted for F mount with a focus tube/tilt).

The derivatives of that very same lens (same lens formula) appeared in various Hassy and Rollei mounts. The latest Makro Planar has better coatings and the diaphram is opened further (the original S-Planar had a restricted aperture).

It is a stunning lens. Optimized for magnifications around 1/10X.

For $2,100, even it is factory direct, it is way too much money to use on a Nikon body.

I would suggest (having owned and experienced) the old PC Micro Nikkor 85/2.8 D instead. Much more versatile with its T/S functions. It is also faster, sharper and with better (buttery smooth) bokeh.

 

[deepdiver]

Hi Vivek!

Thx a lot for the information
I notice a lot of people mention about the resolution of this lens is not very good, IF we are using it on 35mm DSLR.
Maybe I should just stay with my 35mm type of lenses and stay away from MF lenses

Andree

 

[woodyspedden]

Andree

First of all, $2100 for the 120 is just too much money. Not competitive.

The lens is a macro but IIRC it only goes to 1:4. You need extension tubes to get anywhere close to 1:1

You should look at the newest Nikkor 105 2.8 VRII. This is a stunning lens and sells new at B&H Photo in New York for $750! And you get 1:1 magnification with no tubes, converters etc

Much better choice (and I own and love my 120 Zeiss for the Hasselblad H3)

Woody

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Folks if you want a Macro 120 lens the Mamiya is supposed to be outstanding. I do have a Mamiya to Nikon adapter new that I never used if anyone needs it but honestly trying to see why you want to use a MF lens macro lens on a DSLR since there are some great DSLR macro's out there. Something for look or effect is one thing but macro when Nikon and Zeiss are so good maybe a bad choice IMHO. Besides that is too much money for the Hassy 120mm. Your Zeiss is probably better anyway

 

[Vivek]

Andree, If people say it isn't "sharp enough" on a smaller format, they are wrong.

A couple of shots taken with my S-Planar 120mm (for both the samples, the lens was tilted, manually focused as well!) and a D40x.

 

[woodyspedden]

vivek

I have no quarrel with the sharpness and IQ of this lens. As I said in my post, I use the Makro 120 all the time on my H3D. But to pay over $2K for it to use on a Nikon in my opinion is ludicrous. As I said before the Nikon 105VRII goes for less than $500 and the world renowned Zeiss ZF 100 Makro for just over $1K. I just don't see what you are getting from the Hassy/Zeiss 120 that is so unique to command that price. Even if mint, the going price should be closer to $15-$1800 and at those prices I still would not buy it for the Nikon. JMHO and YMMV

Woody

P.S. Now if you have a V Hassy or one of the newer H bodies and want the 120 Makro for that as well, then it is certainly worth the price of the adapter to make use of it on the Nikon as well. That is exactly what I do with the Hassy FE 110 2.0. It is my portrait lens for the Hassy 203FE and I have the Novoflex adapter to allow use on my Nikons. That is a no brainer!

 

[Vivek]

Woody, I wasn't quarreling with you at all.

Please check my first post here!

 

[fotografz]

Andree, when you mount any of these MF lenses on a Nikon, it's a "dumb" lens ... meaning the electronic contacts on the Hasselbald CFE lenses don't communicate with the camera and are useless (E stands for electronic.) Plus, to meter with the Hassey lenses you have to stop down manually because the auto stop down connection is non-existent." So you are paying for features you cannot use.

People use these lenses anyway because they either already own them for their Hasselblad, or certain lenses have a "look" that they like.

For example, if I am shooting with one of my Hasselblad digital cameras, I can put a Nikon D700 body in the bag as a back-up, which can use all the Hasselblad lenses in a pinch.

If you are using a crop frame Nikon DSLR with a 1.5X focal length multiplier, take a look at the Zeiss ZF 50/2.

 

[tetsrfun]

"Andree, when you mount any of these MF lenses on a Nikon, it's a "dumb" lens ... meaning the electronic contacts on the Hasselbald CFE lenses don't communicate with the camera and are useless (E stands for electronic.) Plus, to meter with the Hassey lenses you have to stop down manually because the auto stop down connection is non-existent." So you are paying for features you cannot use."

A 120/4 CF, in excellent condition can bought for <$1. I think it was fotograz that has pointed out that Zeiss never upgraded the Hassy 120/4 as they did the Contax version. I have both the Hassy 120/4 and the Nikon 105..Horses for..etc..

Steve

 

[woodyspedden]

Woody, I wasn't quarreling with you at all.

Please check my first post here!

Sorry Vivek............" I won't quarrel.......is just an American idiomatic term. It is not intended to be taken literally. Sorry if this offended you in any way because i certainly didn't mean it that way.

Best

Woody

 

[deepdiver]

I guess u are right guys....
this lens is too expensive for Nikon DSLR, If i have Hasselblad camera, then it's a different story. I can use it both on Hasselblad and Nikon
once again, thank you for everything

Andree

 

[Vivek]

Woody' point about "if you have the Hassy system.." is a right on the money.

Woody, I know. No worries.

 

[robmac]

Andre,

The myth that MF lenses suck on a 35mm body is just that a myth.

It is true that MF lenses didn't HAVE to resolve as well as their 35mm counterparts due to the nature of MF emulsion (more grain of varying sizes across larger substrate) and the less enlarging necessary to get larger prints.

That said, just because the lenses didn't HAVE to, doesn't mean they DIDN'T. Any MF lens that performs well on a MFDB, AA filter aside, will perform well on a DSLR.

Take a MFDB and a DSLR with the same pitch and while DoF will always be skinnier on the MF back, the exhibited resolution (again AA filter aside) in the center X mm's of the two shots will be the same. Color, etc - different balls of wax.

In fact using a MF lens on a FF DSLR actually utilizes only the first 20 mm of the MTF - you get the sweet spot as it were. Like with any alternate lens, you need an adapter (Fotodiox PRO are very good -$80 app) and function in stop down mode.

I use/have used a Hassy 110/2, Mamiya 200/2.8 APO and Mamiya 150/3.5 with stellar results on a 1Ds2.

As for the Hassy 120. The price is too high. They can be found for US$1000 or just under.

The way I decide about using a MF lens is the same as w/any alt lens - does it give me something a comparable Canon lens won't (that's usually any easy one ;>), does it give great bang for the $$$ (in many cases such as with Mamiya, yes) - or do I just want to experiment for the hell of it?

 

[robmac]

Vivek - those shots have some nice 'depth' to them.